This article profiles the Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard, Configuring exam (70-169), which tests your knowledge of Microsoft’s server for small businesses. Pearson IT Certification provides a variety of exam preparation tools to help our customers in their quest for certification. As part of our service to you, we have developed this Exam Profile series. Each profile is developed based on the testing experience of one of our trainers or authors. You won’t get exact questions or answers, but you will get a real feel for the exam. Each profile describes question forms, trouble spots, hints for exam preparation, and recommendations for additional study resources. Find out what you can expect to see on the exam and how you can better prepare for it.

Like large companies, smaller companies often look for relevant certifications when hiring IT professionals. However, enterprise-level product certifications are often overkill if the goal is to get hired with a small company where budget constraints often put Microsoft’s higher end software financially out of reach. Smaller organizations often resort to running Windows Small Business Server. As such, earning a Small Business Server certification may prove to be beneficial.

Exam Details

Number of questions: Microsoft does not disclose the number of questions on their certification exams, but this exam is estimated to have about 50 questions.

Type(s) of questions: Microsoft does not disclose the exam format, but the bulk of the exam is reported to be made up of multiple choice questions. You may also encounter simulations, reorder, or build a tree questions.

Passing score: 700/1000

Time limit: Microsoft does not disclose the time limit for their exams, but most exams have a time limit of about two hours.

How to register: Prometric

Trouble Spots

Most of the items on this exam are relatively straight forward. One potential trouble spot, however, is the section on migrations. Microsoft expects you to know how to migrate from previous versions of Small Business Server including Windows SBS 2003 and Windows SBS 2008. Although there is nothing especially difficult about the migration process, it can be difficult to locate a copy of Windows Small Business Server 2003 so that you can practice the migration process.